Up to 200 miles of broadband infrastructure could soon see construction in western Arizona.
Governor Doug Ducey has announced that the state plans to spend around $68.1 million to build broadband connectivity between the city of Flagstaff and the California border.
“This critical infrastructure will give more homes fast internet, improve public safety, increase access to education and help more Arizonans get the care they need through telemedicine,” Ducey remarked in a statement.
As planned, the infrastructure will be built along Interstate 40, which runs east to west in north Arizona.
By design, the infrastructure will provide connectivity to Coconino, Mohave, and Yavapai counties, as well as what are described as the underserved and rural communities of Bellemont, Ash Fork, Seligman, and Kingman.
According to a document released earlier this month by the Arizona Commerce Authority called Arizona Broadband Statewide Middle-Mile Strategic Plan, many rural and tribal communities in the state have been “left behind in the digital age.”
The document adds that to date some 800,000 households in Arizona are “without access to a wired connection capable of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload,” while at least 862,000 households have access to only a single internet service provider.
The document also noted that up to 91% of households currently identified as being unserved or underserved in Arizona are located within a five-mile radius of a highway, providing optimal conditions for the building of new broadband infrastructure.
As planned, the new project will be a continuance of work that is already underway building new broadband infrastructure in Arizona along Interstate 17 and Interstate 19 running in a north to south direction down the middle of the state.
By Garry Boulard
